The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture will deliver the António Dacosta Painting Prize to Azorean artist Catarina Vieira Pereira, who won the first edition of this award with the work titled "Renascimento ou Cadáver IV" (Rebirth or Corpse IV).. The ceremony will be held in Ponta Delgada on Friday at 4 PM.

During the public prize-delivery session at the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive, Catarina Vieira Pereira will make a brief presentation of the award-winning work, addressing the innovative methodology that she used when creating this piece.

The jury, consisting of plastic artists Maria José Cavaco and José Nuno da Câmara Pereira and art critic António Pinto Ribeiro, has decided by unanimity to award the António Dacosta Prize to the aforementioned work. The decision took into consideration several aspects, such as "the fact that the artist used an innovative process in the creation of her work and its bold format."

Furthermore, the jury also highlighted that the winning work "reveals the relevant plastic qualities of an artist who is starting her career."

According to the contest rules, the work will be incorporated into the artistic collection of Arquipélago - Contemporary Arts Centre.

With a cash value of 12 thousand Euros, the António Dacosta Painting Prize is awarded by the Regional Secretariat for Education and Culture/Regional Directorate for Culture. It aims to distinguish regional artists and acknowledge the importance regional cultural activities in the field of fine arts, with special emphasis on painting.

A native of S. Miguel Island, Catarina Pereira Vieira holds a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha. This year, she was awarded the first prize in the 4th edition of LABJOVEM competition in the fine arts category.

The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of the CulturAçores Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.